BIOSKETCH AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

My interest in dipteran flies began during my graduate study in Bratislava (SK). The focus was on faunistics of the family Ceratopogonidae (or biting midges) from industrially affected region of NW Bohemia. Since then, the systematics, morphology and phylogeny of this group have also become the focus of my research. Under the supervision of J. Vaňhara, I completed my doctoral thesis on the phylogeny of central European ceratopogonids in 2006. Besides biting midges, I am interested and involved in studies on the taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny of both the nematoceran and brachyceran Diptera families, employing both multigene DNA analysis and the examination of morphological features (Anthomyzidae, Bibionidae, Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae, Platypezidae, Sciomyzidae, Stratiomyidae, Rhinophoridae, Tachinidae, etc.). The non-dipteran projects I am participating in include molecular studies of chosen invertebrate taxa (earthworms, spiders, ants, beetles, etc.) dealing with taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography.